There’s a good chance you have heard about the Amazon Vine program and seen a reviewer with the Vine Voice badge. I wrote about Vine in a previous blog covering the Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) policy change for incentivized reviews. This time, I’m sharing the basics of Vine from a vendor’s point of view.

What Is Vine?

At its core, Vine is a marketing opportunity for vendors to request potential reviews and ratings from Amazon’s certified reviewers. I say potential because Vine reviewers are not required to write a review in exchange for receiving free products. Instead, they opt to receive free products vendors have made available to the program and write honest and helpful product reviews at their own discretion….

Too many medical fears – my wife’s recent close call after contracting a dangerous infection on top of everything else – and financial woes threw my motivation to write fiction into a tar pit.

The fear that comes with uncertainty and morbidity takes a toll on anyone’s psyche and I was just another one of its recipients. Creative energy was quietly replaced by dark observations and the subsequent frustrations of the world’s current political state. Mindless entertainment and mobile device games passed the time between work and family obligations. Sleep became more and more desirable to pass the days when it was an option. A few too many sips of bourbon helped ensure that.

Looking back, I can point out a plethora of reasons I ended up here, but what’s the point? All I can do is recognize where I am and set a new direction. Wallowing in self-pity and introspective pondering won’t accomplish anything, except, perhaps, provide a character trait in an new story.

Today I found this incredible discomfort ripping at my heart. I loathe the idea of complacency and living the mundane, and yet, I found myself there. An overwhelming urge to write something – anything – is pushing me to write this self-reflective piece now. So I’m going with it. When it’s complete, a new world begins.

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It’s been a while since I last posted. Most of the summer has passed by in what feels like an extended weekend. The good news is I have been hard at work back at my old job plus freelance writing for a few clients. Here is one of my recent posts….

Product A’s sales were great when it first launched, but now sales are growing more and more sluggish. Before you know it, the sales performance of your most popular product of the last year is a ghost of its former self.

How Does This Happen?

Think about how long it has been since you updated the product description or posted new photography. When a product page is left alone, the downward sales cycle gradually kicks in. Traffic dissipates as all of your eager customers have completed their purchases. Unless you’re doing something to attract new customers and keep the product listing alive, your web traffic will be relegated to pure happenstance.

So you have been tasked with revitalizing Product A before it sinks into the abyss of forgotten product pages. You can help stave off the downward trend by continually improving the editorial and visual content to increase search ranking and consumer relevance, and by taking advantage of Amazon promotions.

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I’m excited to share a new blog on eCommerce written for eComEngine. I have taken to writing more about eCommerce and digital marketing in recent months pulling from my professional experience in these areas. Entering this new territory as a writer is exciting, and going quite well.

The introductory paragraphs of the new blog are shown below, please follow the link to read the full post. It’s not too long, I promise.

Considering you went into business as an eCommerce merchant to earn an income, it should go without saying that you are always looking for new ways to boost your sales. There are multiple factors that can shape your approach to improving lackluster sales or developing your growth strategy, such as making your products easy to find and bundling.

If you’re selling on the Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) marketplace, there are specific steps that merchants should consider. Amazon offers a number of tools at your disposal, so let’s take a closer look….

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When you enter into agreements with freelance writers to develop content for your web presence, you will find early on that an open door for communication between writer and client is invaluable. A writer needs to understand your business, intentions, and audience to shape the material with the goal of creating great content that will perform well for you.

Writers Need to Know You

No matter how knowledgeable they may be about your industry or trade, freelance writers are meeting you for the first time and, in many cases, online. They don’t know the nuances of your business like you do. They may not have ever heard of a special technique or service you employ if it’s not commonly used in your field. Never assume a writer can take a few keywords and figure it out as that leaves far too much room for interpretation, which can easily steer the content off course. Your goal is for the writer to express your business, not your business category.